Angels: A History

by Peter Stanford

'An intriguing exploration of the many roles that angels have played in spiritual life.' - The Sunday Times : Nick Rennison

'In a 2016 poll, one in 10 Britons claimed to have experienced the presence of an angel, while one in three remain convinced that they have a guardian angel. These are huge numbers and mean that, on some counts, angels are doing better than God.'

In the secular, sceptical, post-Christian world of the West, continuing faith in angels is both anomaly and comfort. But what exactly are angels, and why have so many in different times and contexts around the globe believed in them? What is their history and role in the great faiths and beyond their walls? Are angels something real, a manifestation of divine concern? Or part of the poetry of religion? And can they continue to illuminate a deeper truth about human existence and the cosmos?

These are not new questions. They have been asked over millennia, right up to the present day, as writer, journalist and broadcaster Peter Stanford explores in Angels , his latest investigation into the history, theology and cultural significance of religious ideas.

'There is no better navigator through the space in which art, culture and spirituality meet than Peter Stanford' Cole Moreton, Independent on Sunday

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

321 pages, ebook

Published March 7, 2019

Reviews

[Andy Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amiable enough excursion through the way angels have been considered across the ages. The early parts are better, perhaps because a degree of repetition starts to creep in whilst the end chapters descend into unhelpful whimsy. It is primarily a Western European account and I would have welcomed some analysis of, for example, the prevalence of angel-belief in contemporary US christian groups.
There are some shocking failures in proof reading: Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, not 1568 and Descartes famous dictum was not 'cognito ergo sum'. At this level of production and price, one expects better.

[S.C. Skillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book after attending a Warwick History festival event at which Peter Stanford was speaking. His talk proved lively, engaging and full of fascinating information. Having read his book, I found it a very scholarly and sometimes quite dense survey of references to angels at all historical stages of a number of world faiths and spiritual outlooks, from centuries before the Christian era, right up until the present day, with the interest in angels ever popular through folk religion and other spiritual outlooks.

Peter Stanford uncovers much intriguing material, and also includes an examination of the appearance of angels in great art. Throughout he maintains an objective, academic approach which he combines with his own views.

I was particularly interested in his observation that formerly angels were seen as within orthodox religious structures but then reached a stage where they became 'independent agents', outside traditional faith structures.

As Stanford says, 'People have... believed in angels for millennia... the only difference today is that this reliance on angels as dwellers in time and space is happening outside of organised religion... Angels once... largely belonged in religious narratives and institutions... but... have somehow detached themselves from the declining institutions and are now thriving on their own.'

At the end of the book Stanford remarks: 'I have lost count while researching and writing the book of how many times I have been asked if I "believe" in angels.' I found this quite amusing, and indeed he did answer the question at the end of his talk.

A highly recommended book for all sorts of readers: those who do believe in angels, and those interested in a historical study of world faiths and spiritual outlooks. I would suggest even psychologists would find much fascinating raw material here too!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic approach, but with some unfounded opinions portrayed as facts. Author appeared to be attempting an unbiased / neutral approach, but result is very much a secular somewhat cynical voice; and a lot of potential beauty of the topic feels like it has been surgically extracted.
There are nonetheless some interesting historical insights into the evolution of the perception of angels in the various Abrahamic religions and their books.

[Masta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stanford traces the origins of angels from the Ancient Near East through Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and follows their transformation from orthodox religious figures to independent agents thriving in contemporary spirituality and popular culture. He explores how, even in a secular and skeptical age, belief in angels remains widespread-sometimes even outpacing belief in God itself-suggesting that angels continue to offer comfort, meaning, and a sense of connection to the transcendent for many people.

Stanford approaches the subject with both academic rigour and cultural sensitivity, blending theological analysis with references to art, literature, and modern media. He does not attempt to prove or disprove the existence of angels; rather, he convincingly argues for their importance as symbols and carriers of meaning, capable of illuminating deeper truths about human existence and the cosmos. Throughout, he notes how the perception of angels has shifted: once closely tied to religious institutions, angels have become figures that operate outside traditional faith structures, appealing to those who seek spiritual experiences beyond organised religion.

Stanford’s work is less about angelology as dogma and more about the persistent human fascination with the idea of messengers between the divine and the everyday. He suggests that angels, whether understood as real entities or as poetic expressions of hope and longing, reflect the enduring human desire for guidance, protection, and reassurance in a complex world.

[Mike Beranek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Stanford's genius is in turning the most murky and obscure religious and art history into a fairly light and entertaining read. His trawl through the most ancient of winged creatures etc to the present was relatively easy to read in a few days on the beach in the Canary Islands. Even having no particular interest in the book beyond it being Stanford's, I began to imagine a little more and even wonder if I'm more than agnostic on the matter myself. However there are a lot of names of prophets, theologians, Rabbi and artists - to name a few categories- and I found myself a little bogged down around the semi-opaque 'intertestamental' thought and thinkers, and also on renaissance abstractions, but the short chapters, and his consistent readability alone lifted me out onto the more contemporary-focussed second half. There's a wide range of sources and a nice index and bibliography, but one wonders if Stanford rather picked up more than he could chew on this matter. To make the book brief enough to be of popular interest and demonstrate the huge cultural import of the topic is impossible. However I found the scriptural digest of worldwide bible references - like impenetrable Tobit - very useful for further exploration. As usual he is best with his own experience. His recount of a massed meeting at Friends House in Euston at the beginning, and of medieval art at his own local church in the epilogue, were both most moving.

[SERGI LAPEIRA · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like angels, this is your book. The author gives a historical treatment of the subject, based mainly on the three great monotheistic religions. However, despite his desired objectivity, his brassiness is evident when he opts for a not-so-hidden apology for the angelic world. Personally, I agree with this bias, because I also like angels, although I have never seen one. But I have always considered their story fascinating, and therefore, I take refuge in the old Italian saying: "si non e vero, e ben trobato". Read it and you will not be disappointed. I only have one complaint about the translation into Spanish, since it is quite bad.

[Melanie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was confirmed in the Church of England in 2012 and interestingly no Church study group I have attended so far has involved a discussion of angels. However, I am also a member of Inclusive Church Peterborough and we have discussed angels as a group during one study session. I generally get the impression though that serious discussion of angels is currently regarded as a sensitive topic - one might even describe it as 'taboo'. I found it somewhat refreshing, therefore, to read this book by Peter Stanford, in which he fearlessly explores the subject of angels.

Stanford offers the reader a well-researched, but, at the same time a fairly broad sweep of angel references, including those in some different faiths. He is not attempting to offer us proof of their existence, but he convincingly asserts their importance. Angels may be arguably marginalised, even repudiated, in some cultural settings, yet are still considered hugely relevant and important to many people in the world, not all of whom are members of organised religious groups.

So, did I read this because I am among the ranks of believers in angels and am I among the many people who claim to have encountered them? Yes - and yes.

Intrigued? Read this book and discuss with friends!

[Vikçéltibér · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a disappointing book. Reads like a Chat GPT essay on the subject with very little that hasn’t been said many times before. Has a lack of depth of knowledge when discussing anything outside mainstream Roman Catholicism; even here he presents many commonly held opinions as if they are fact, when more informed and nuanced views are available.

[Nicola Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong on the origins of angels and the development of angelology in religion. Last on current cultural references